Like so many others have said, this is a clear violation of rights and an invasion of privacy.Just say NO! NO! NO! To the new USS of A. I think our forefathers and writers of the Constitutions Bill of Rights are rolling over in their graves.

I do not use text messaging. I have it blocked on my "dumb" phone so I cannot receive a text message. If text messages were recorded, perhaps it would slow down the incessant usage. People are so addicted to text messages, they never take their eyes off their phone. They have no awareness of their surroundings nor connection to live people in their presence.

We were having dinner in a nice restaurant recently and observed three couples at nearby tables texting constantly. One woman did not even look at the server when approached to order her meal. She just barked out what she wanted and continued texting. No eye contact, no thank you, nothing. And of course the couples never communicated with each other (unless they were texting one another across the table).

The cost of storing text messages is not relevant as some posters have pointed out. What is relevant is this federal government that has become a super legislative body sticking its nose into all aspects of our lives. It's time to begin the process of shutting it down by cutting the money it gets from the tax payers and eliminating entire departments. The Patriot Act also needs to be repealed.

One day, half the population is going to realize that their "honorable representatives" do not represent them, but rather represent special interests - with helping themselves at the top of the list.

What better way to monitor and squelch dissent than to know what people are thinking? And I'll bet those free Obamaphones are some of the best monitored phones around.

Shocking (that at the present moment for the survey) 11% don't care about their private lives being public. Odds are they've egotistically gushed personal details onto their facebook pages as well. Then they're surprised when they're fired, or hauled into the school office for saying something the system disagrees with. Good morning, and welcome to "1984".

It's an invasion of our privacy; nothing in the constitution gives this power, so it does not exist. It's an over-stretch by "the authorities" to even ask. Not to mention it's unreasonable to require the carriers to bear the cost to facilitate this (which in the end means the cost will be past on the the consumers). So in the end I'd end up paying for an invasion to my privacy... two words: No Way!

I care if my texts are being recorded! I don't care if it is just a shopping list, it's nobody's business what I want to cook for dinner tonight! I can understand MaybeIf Your Already A Suspect in a case but, not every day individuals who have never done anything to warrant it. Too many of us have fought and died for our freedoms to let some smucks track us or record us, how much proof do they need of our loyalty ? Just one veterans opinion......Digger

Really - record text messages - What are we really accomplishing ? IS this just the same "making a perfect world" at the expense of reasonable privacy rights which really are important. Actually this is empire building on the part of whatever govenment department is doing this. May be they might want to disect excretment in order to find out what everyone is eating also? Really - lighten up government! Just because you CAN do it does NOT make it right.

This is clearly a wrongful invasion of everyone's privacy. Next the government will want to publicly strip search everyone at the airport - "well if you have nothing to hide what's the problem?" We all have a right to privacy.

I do agree that the law needs all the help they can get when it comes to apprehending criminals. WE have all sacrificed a lot over the years in order to help police. I do some texting with a couple of buddies and my kids and grandkids. That text is between sender and recipient. No one else.

Maybe our software gurus could create a software that would detect a multiple uses of several chosen words for national threats or roberies which would give them ample reason to THEN watch these texts. There's too much 'big brother' these days.

Also, for those that don't know and maybe not care. Those expensive police scanners are, for the most part, now useless. They have change the encyption to an advanced inpenitrable access. These are all trunking radios . We are not allowed to hear police and fire frequencies anymore, due to 'sensitivity issues'. That too, collides with what we claim that public airwaves are public domain. Not anymore my friends

Cellphones, texting and email have become "standard" forms of communication - both personal and business. Therefore, any communication should be treated just as land line telephone and U.S. Mail are treated - CONFIDENTIAL and requiring a SEARCH WARRANT.

Once upon a time there was no income tax - yea really! Give them and inch and they will never cease - so now look at the tax situation today. Start with recording text messages and I really can not to begin to envision where the govenment will go from there - cameras that look at what you are doing mounted in you TV. We all have a right to privacy !!!

It's not the cops that want to trample our rights and the Constitution, it's the majority of the liberal police chiefs and prosecutors. They can get a warrant any time and intercept, block, or alter your text message when they loosely prove probable cause to a judge.Now they want the ability to look at any text in/out for 2 years prior to a warrant. Next it will be all cell voice conversations, then they will push for 4 years because 2 wasn't enough.

Remember these communist turds can be fired, just as the gutless politicians that someone bought and paid for.All in favor of this must be identified and put in a database for us all to see. When un-electing the beltway bandits & tyrants, firing the Popo Cheefs and District ******** doesn't seem work, us real patriots can introduce them to the most effective and final Control-Alt-Delete known to man.

As I said, LIST, we need a list of those chiefs and what city needs to be rescued from them.

1st is that old paper hidden away where no one sees or uses called a Bill Of Rights er 5th amendment against self incrimination. A text is still a Wire Action and should be a protected communication. why should law enforcement be given a free pass to read what wasn't spoken for a variety of reasons.

2. To law enforcement, shut up, get up and do your job. If you, Mr law man person think a law is broken then go get proof the old fashioned way. I believe in the constitution and took an oath to support and defend it the old fashioned way, With Firepower if necessary. As a member of the Armed forces I take a dim view of lazy actors always looking for the easy way out.

3, the idea of collecting texts now is a bit like closing the gate after the horse got out.

yes i am opposed to the collection of personal communication. Does the USPS make copies and keep them or does the collective voice carrier group record conversations? N O, a text is simply a substitute for a voice or a print on paper as a means of communication. Get a warrant!

This another attempt to invade our privacy without due cause. This does not need to be implemented without a warrant for a criminal investigation and then the messages should be recorded when the warrant is served and not to be used as requirement of logging for a specific previous period.

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